Radon Measurement

Health Canada recommends a long term Radon test be performed within 3 months.

For real estate transactions, Cottage to Castle uses a continuous Radon monitor from RADALINK in order to provide 48 hour Radon testing. The client will receive an hourly graph of the Radon levels in the home during the testing period as well as an average Radon concentration. The RADALINK monitor offers tamper proof features for real estate transactions. This monitor will also take readings for temperature, Relative Humidity and Air Pressure in order to determine if there were any breaches in protocol. The results are uploaded to RADALINK for their analysis and reporting. As there are no current protocols for Radon testing as part of a real estate transaction, Cottage to Castle uses the U.S. EPA Guidelines for real estate transactions.

Cottage to Castle also offers long term testing kits.
Do it Yourself kits are $50 +HST and include analysis.
Placement and retrieval services are also available for long term testing.
Call us for more information.

HOW CAN RADON ENTER MY HOME?

Radon gas can enter a house any place it finds an opening where the house contacts the soil: cracks in foundation walls and in floor slabs, construction joints, gaps around service pipes and support posts, floor drains and sumps, cavities inside walls, and the water supply.

Radon can also be found in groundwater from private or small community wells. Radon produced in the ground can dissolve and accumulate in water from underground sources such as wells. When water containing Radon is agitated during daily household use – showering, clothes washing or cooking, for example – the Radon gas can be released into the air. However, research has shown that drinking water that contains Radon is far less harmful than breathing the gas. The health risk does not come from consuming the Radon, but from inhaling the gas. And in most cases, the risk of Radon entering the home through water is much lower than if it enters through the ground.

Materials used to construct a house – stones, bricks, cement, or granite, for example – are not a significant source of Radon in Canada. Natural materials taken from the ground, like granite, can contain some uranium and may have higher levels of radiation or Radon than expected, but in the vast majority of cases these levels are not significant. In February 2010, Health Canada completed a study of 33 types of granite commonly purchased in Canada and none were found to have significant levels of Radon.

Almost all homes have some Radon. The levels can vary dramatically even between similar homes located next to each other. The amount of Radon in a home will depend on many factors

HOW CAN RADON AFFECT MY HEALTH?

As Radon breaks down, it forms radioactive particles that can get lodged into your lung tissue as you breathe. The Radon particles then release energy that can damage your lung cells. When lung cells are damaged, they have the potential to result in cancer. Not everyone exposed to radon will develop lung cancer, and the time between exposure and the onset of the disease can take many years.

Long-term exposure to Radon is linked to approximately 16% of lung cancer deaths in Canada. It is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer for people who have never smoked.

If you smoke or have smoked and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

WHAT DO I DO AFTER I TEST MY HOME AND GET MY RESULTS?

The Canadian guideline for radon in indoor air is 200 Bq/m3.

If you’ve tested your home, and the Radon concentration is above the Canadian guideline of 200 Bq/m3, Health Canada recommends that you take action to lower the concentrations. The higher the Radon concentrations, the sooner action should be taken to reduce levels to as low as practically possible.

While the health risk from Radon exposure below the Canadian guideline is small, there is no level that is considered risk free. It is the choice of each homeowner to decide what level of Radon exposure they are willing to accept.